Mine-dropping apparatus



Get. 9, 1928.

A. D. TRENOR MINE DROPPING APPARATUS Original Filed Sept. 10. 1920 QNGWN 5% W QM @vm kw mus/won H/s ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 9, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT I). TRENOR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB TO JOHN HAYSHAMMOND, JR.

mmn-nnorrme nrrnnnzros.

Original application filed June 22, 1917, Serial No. 176,323. Divided and this application filed September 10, 1920, Serial No.

This application is a division of my application, Serial No. 176,323, filed June 22, 1917.

Some of the objects of this invention are to provide an improved apparatus for supporting and releasing devices, such as explosive mines, bombs, or other devices; adapted to be used upon marine vessels, air craft, or other movable bodies, and to be controlled froma distance in any suitable manner, as for in stance, in response to radiant energy, and to provide other improvements as Wlll appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of this invention and Fig. 2 a side elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 an enlarged fragmentary sectional View of a detail of the same.

In the drawings one embodiment of this invention is shown as arranged upon a stationary platform 200 and secured to a vertical mast 201 and extending upwardly from a rigid platform. This form of this invention comprises an upright chute 210 which is arranged to hold a plurality of cylindrical mines 215 which are of uniform size, the chute 210 in this instance being oblong and rectangular in cross section, and constructed of a plurality of strips of metal or other suitable material, some of which 216 extend longitudinally of the chute, and others of which 217 extend transversely of the chute, and are rigidly secured to the corresponding strips 216. The upper portion of the chute 210 is securely clamped to the mast 201 by yokes 218 or in any other suitable manner. The inside dimensions of the chute 210 are such that the mines 215 when placed in the chute with their longitudinal axes extending horizontally, will have very little free movement horizontally in any direction, but will be permitted-to fall freely downwardly through the chute. The chute is preferably so formed as to include a vertical upper portion, a longitudinal curved intermediate portion and a straight downwardly inclined lower portion, the longitudinal arrangement being such that the mines 215 will fall by the action of gravity. The portions of the longitudinal strips 216 which are included within the longitudinal curved portion of the chute 210, are preferably in the form of arcs of circles which are drawn about an imaginary horizontal line 220 as an axis, so that the upperand lower curved portions of the walls of the longi- 409,376. Renewed May 6', 1927.

tudinally curved intermediate portion of the chute 210 form portions of cylindrical surfaces which are drawn about the imaginary horlzontal line 220 as an axis.

For retaining the mines 215 normally in the chute 210, and for releasing the mines one by one at the will of an operator from the chute, a horizontal shaft 225 is arranged with ts longitudinal axis coinciding with the imaginary line 220, which is the axis of curvature V of the intermediate longitudinally curved portion of the chute. Upon this shaft 225 are rlgidly secured two or more star wheels 226, which are the same in form and the peripheral edge of each of which is prov1ded with four recesses 227, 228, 229 and 230, each of which is in the form of an arc of a c1rcle having a radius substantially equal to the radius of one of the mines 215. These star wheels 226 are secured in like positions of rotation upon the shaft 225, and arranged to fit snugly around the cylindrical surfaces of the mines 215 in succession as the mines are permitted to fall through the intermediate lggragitudinally curved portion of the chute For controlling the star wheels 226 to normally' hold the lowermost mine 215 in the longitudinally curved portion of the chute 210, and to release the mine thus held and retain the remaining mines at the will of an operator, a ratchet wheel 235 having four equispaced ratchet teeth 236 is loosely mounted around the shaft 225, and is normally held yieldingly in a suitable predetermined position with respect to the shaft by means of two springs 237, 238, arranged upon opposite sides of the ratchet wheel 235 respectively, these two sprngs being wound around this shaft in the same direction, and each spring having its inner end secured to the ratchet wheel 235 and its outer end secured to the shaft 225.

For controlling the rotary movement of the ratchet wheel 235, a pawl 240 in the form of a bell crank lever is mounted to oscillate about a fixed axis on a. fixed pivot 241 in such a manner that one end 242 of the lever may be moved into and out of engagement with the teeth 236 of the ratchet wheel 235, and is normally held in engagement with the ratchet wheel 235 by a spiral spring 243. The free end of the bell crank lever 240 is bevelled as at 246 and is arranged in the path of the free end other end to a of a dog 247 which is pivotally secured at its iston rod 248. The dog 247 is normally yiel ingly held in a predetermined operative position against a lug 249 provided therefor on the piston rod 248 by means of a spring 250. The piston rod 248 is rigidly secured at one end to an actuating piston 255 which is arranged to reciprocate in a fixed main cylinder 256, and at its other end the piston rod 248 is rigidly secured to a retarding piston 257, which is arranged to reciprocate in a fixed auxiliarycylinder 258. The auxiliary cylinder 258 is provided at its outer end with an inwardly opening check valve 265 of well known construction, having an opening therethrough, the valve 265 being arranged to retard the piston 257 when it is being moved towards the left but to permit the piston 256 to be moved freely towards the right. The actuating piston 255 is normally held in its outermost or initial inoperative position by a spiral spring 270 in the main cylinder 256, and this spring acts to return the actuating piston 255 into its initial position after it has been moved outwardly therefrom and then released. The outer end of the main cylinder 256 communicates with a pipe 275 through which compressed air may be ad mitted into the cylinder from any suitable source, or exhausted from the cylinder. The pipe 27 5 maybe controlled in any well known or suitable manner, as for instance by a valve arranged to be controlled in res onse to radiant energy, as shown in one o my copending applications.

In the operation of this form of this invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, when the parts are in the positions shown in the drawings,

and it is desired to permit the lowermost mine 215 to fall from the chute 210 and to retain the remaining mines 215 in the chute, compressed air is permitted to enter through the pipe 275 into the cylinder 256, which forces the piston rod 248 towards the left, and thus causes the dog 247 to disengage the pawl 240 from the ratchet wheel 235, thus permitting the ratchet wheel to rotate in a clockwise direction, as

viewed in Fig. 1, and to release the lowermost mine 215. The arrangement is such that in moving towards the left to release the pawl 240 from the ratchet wheel, the dog 247 passes over the beveled end 246 of the pawl 240 im-.

mediately after the bell crank lever has been released from the ratchet wheel 235, and the bell crank lever is then returned immediately into engagement with the ratchet wheel 235 by the spring 243 and prevents the ratchet wheel from rotating through more than ninety degrees, as a result of a single reciprocation of the piston 255. This rotation of the ratchet wheel 235 through a single step of ninety degrees after having been released by the pawl 240, is caused by the downward pressure of the mine or mines 215 acting upon the star wheels 226, which when thus released are -mines in their downward movement of the chute, is prevented by the yielding action of the ratchet wheel 235 with respect to the shaft 225 under the control of the opposed springs 237 and 238, which prevent any sudden stoppage of the rotary movement of the shaft 225, and consequently of the star wheels 226, and thus avoids any sudden stoppage of the movement of the mine or mines which are retained by the star wheels after the lowermost mine 215 has been permitted to fall from the chute.

Moreover, the shape of the chute 210 is such that the lower inclined portion of the chute serves not only to discharge the mines in a desired direction laterally away from the apparatus, but also this inclined portion serves to partially support the mines when in their stationary positions, and thus relieve the retaining members, and the star wheels 226 from excessive pressure. This inclined portion of the chute also serves to gradually arrest the downward movement of the mines which are to be retained in their supports during the release of one of the mines and when the remaining mines are falling into position to be retained. The shape of the chute is therefore such as to avoid any excessive shocks upon the mines as a result of the operation of the retained mines.

Although only one of the many forms in which this invention may be embodied has been shown herein, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to any specific construction, but might be embodied in various devices without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1s 1. The combination with means for supin a path parallel with said shaft for moving said pawl out of engagement with said ratchet.

2. The combination with means for sup porting a plurality of devices to move in a predetermined path, of an element normally holding said devices against movement, a ro tatable shaft upon which said element is secured, a ratchet loosely mounted upon said shaft, yielding means connecting said ratchet to said shaft, a pawl normally holding said ratchet against rotation, and means arranged to oscillate in a path parallel with said shaft for moving said pawl out of engagement with said ratchet, said last mentioned means including a yielding element arranged to actuate said pawl when moving in one direction and to slide over said pawl without moving it when moving in the other direction.

3. The combination with means for supporting a plurality of devices to move by gravity in a predetermined tortuous path, a rotatable element having at least a portion of its periphery formed in the same configuration as that of the devices to be supported for engaging the lowermost of said devices to normally hold said devices against movement at a bend in the path, a locking member for said rotatable device, a yielding connection between said rotatable element and said locking member, and fluid actuated means for releasing said locking member for a portion of a revolution of said rotatable element whereby one of said devices is released from said supporting means.

4. The combination with means for sup porting a plurality of devices to move in a predetermined path, a holding element arranged to engage the lowermostof said devices to hold said devices against gravity action, a shaft fixed tosaid holding element, a ratchet loosely mounted on said shaft, a yielding connection between said ratchet and said shaft, a pawl for locking said rachet, and means including a fluid pressure prime mover for actuating said locking pawl in a predetermined manner.

5. The combination with means for supporting a plurality of objects to be moved in a predetermined path, of an element normally holding said objects against movement in said path, a rotatable shaft upon which said element is secured, a ratchet loosely mounted upon said shaft and rotatable with respect thereto, yielding means operatively connecting said ratchet, with said shaft, a pawl arranged to oscillate about a fixed axis into and out of engagement with said ratchet, yielding means normally acting to hold said pawl into engagement with said ratchet and operative to return said pawl into engagement with said ratchet after it has been displaced from such engagement, a rod arranged to reciprocate in a fixed path substantially parallel to said shaft, means for reciprocating said rod,

a spring-pressed dog pivotally connected to said rod and normally held in a fixed position for engagement with said pawl upon a longitudinal movement of said rod in one direcion.

6. The combination with a chute for supporting a plurality of mines and for guiding the same to move in a predetermined path, of a star wheel normally holdin said devices against movement in said pat a rotatable shaft upon which said star wheel is secured, a ratchet mounted upon said shaft, a pawl normally engaging said ratchet, a bell-crank ball normally holding said ratchet against rotation, a piston rod arranged to reciprocate in a path substantially parallel to said shaft, a spring pressed dog pivoted to said piston rod and arranged to engage said pawl to move said pawl out of engagement with said ratchet, and means for reciprocating said rod.

7. The combination with means for supporting a plurality of objects comprising oppositely disposed guiding members, at least one of said guiding members having a curved portion, of means for'restraining the objects, said restraining means having a configuration corresponding to the configuration of said objects and being positioned opposite said curved portion whereby said curved portion serves to deaccelerate the movement of said objects before being restrained by said means. v

8. The combination with a chute for guiding a plurality of objects to move in series in a predetermined path, of a star wheel having the configuration of said objects positioned adjacent said chute to restrain movement of the objects thereover, said chute having a curved portion opposite said restraining means to divert said device and to deaccelerate said devices before being restrained by said restraining means, and means including a fluid actuated device for operating said restraining means to release an object.

9. The combination with a chute for guiding a plurality of objects to move in series in a predetermined path, of a star wheel having the configuration of said objects positioned adjacent said chute to restrain movement of the objects thereover, said chute having a curved portion opposite said restraining means to divert said device and to deaccelerate said devices before being restrained by said restraining means, means including a fluid actuated device for operating said restraining means to release an object, and a dash pot for delaying the action of said actuating means.

10. The combination with a chute for guiding a plurality of'objects to move in series in a predetermined path, of a star wheel having the configuration of said objects positioned adjacent said chute to restrain movement of the objects thereover, said chute having a curved. portion opposite said restraining means to divert said device and to deaccelerate said devices before being restrained by said restrainin means, means including a fluid actuated device for operating said restraining means to release an object, a dash pot for delaying the action of saidactuating means, and a check valve for rendering said dash pot inefi'ective after the actuation of said actuating means. I

11. A hopper for bombs adapted to hold a series of bombs disposed in substantially vertical alinement and each having a predetermined configuration like that of the remainder, means positioned adjacent said hopper and having a complementary configuration, said last-named means including a star wheel, a fluid actuated device for operating said star Wheel and time controlled means for delaying operation of said star wheel.

12. In a magazine for holding and releasing bombs, means for normally maintaining all but one of the bombs in alinement, means i'or restraining the remaining bomb, said re- Essezi and State of Mass, this 31st day of August, 1920.

ALBERT D. TRENOR. 

